Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Chinese Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
Directions
Marinate
Put pork tenderloin in a glass baking dish.
Mix together all other ingredients and simmer over medium heat until blended.
Let cool slightly and pour over tenderloins.
Marinate in refrigerator for about 3 hours, turning every 30 minutes.
Bake and serve
Place dish in oven as is and bake uncovered in a preheated 350°F oven for about 1½ hours.
Baste every 15 to 20 minutes and continue baking until sauce thickens, darkens, and forms a crust.
Serve with whipped potatoes or rice.
Sauce can also be used on spare ribs that have been broiled 4 minutes on each side before adding the sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pork + chickentop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,417 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
-
Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,402 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Chicken + garlictop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,850 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
-
Garlic + clovetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,368 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Soy sauce
- Provides salty, savory flavor and deep color as the sauce darkens in the oven.
- Honey
- Adds sweetness and sugars that caramelize and help the sauce brown and form a crust.
- Pork tenderloins
- Provide the lean meat that is marinated, basted and baked.
- Chicken broth
- Adds moisture and liquid that thins the sauce and keeps the pork from drying out.
The step that matters
Baste and watch the sauce as it bakes. The sugar in the honey can burn if the sauce gets too dark, while too little basting lets the surface dry out. Basting every 15 to 20 minutes keeps the glaze moist and evenly coloured as it thickens into a crust.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, sauce, chicken, honey, sherry, garlic, ginger):
- Thymefits better
- Corianderfits about as well
- Rosemaryfits about as well
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pork, sauce, chicken, honey, sherry, garlic, ginger. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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